


Burying the past

by Sumthinelse



Series: Rarity [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-26 02:48:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13226565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sumthinelse/pseuds/Sumthinelse
Summary: Laura Hale came to Beacon Hills looking for answers, but died before the audience met her. A glimpse at her last few days, and a little about who she was.





	1. First stop, L.A.

Starting a new series with some rare pairs.

 

Laura glanced around her at the other patrons in the L.A. bar where she was currently standing. She thought about Derek, safe back in New York, and felt a tug in her chest towards him. She was facing west, so the tug felt like a string jerking sharply through her back, pulling her towards the East coast. Along her right side, when she reached for it, she felt pressure under her ribs. It was a stitch in her side that was a mere wisp in comparison to her connection to Derek. Like smoke, insubstantial, but present, she felt the urge stronger than she had in years. Peter! 

Laura came back to the present and met a pair of green eyes down the bar. A pink-faced man in jeans and a t-shirt was staring at her, while trying to look interested in his friend’s conversation. He was with the group she’d spotted earlier; soldiers were easy to spot. At least these guys tried to blend in, rather than wearing their uniforms to pick up girls.  
The green-eyed soldier excused himself and walked directly towards Laura, looking shy only when he paused a few feet away. Too young to try and play it cool, he let his intimidation show. Laura knew she was attractive. She occasionally stopped traffic when she dressed up. She liked that the soldier was distracted enough that he bumped into someone at the bar. He blushed furiously while apologizing and smiled at her, sheepishly when he saw he still had her attention. 

Laura had dressed in jeans and a tank top, plain and without jewelry. She had stood still when she’d first walked in, letting the crowd move around her; a deeply buried instinct that evolution hadn’t eliminated caused most people to avoid an Alpha werewolf. It was a sharper instinct that took notice of her. It was why she liked soldiers. They tended to be better at spotting things others didn’t see, they also had a physical discipline that many lacked. The soldier finally reached her, and shook a little bit of spilled beer off his fingers before nodding at the bar.

“Can I get you something?” he asked, more friendly than smooth. 

“No thanks,” Laura replied, giving him a smile. He took it for what it was, a reward for braving the gauntlet of her stare. “Are you on leave?” She eyed his longer-than regulation haircut and guessed that he wasn’t.

“No,” he answered, smiling shyly. “I thought I stopped looking like a soldier.”

“Not yet,” Laura smiled again, and gave him a quick once-over. She caught the scent of something smoky and old, it wasn’t familiar, but it felt safe and she stepped closer. She nodded towards the patio, a slightly quieter and less-sweaty option than the bar for getting to know someone. She guessed she’d have to talk to him for a little while before convincing him that her hotel room was a good idea. He was attractive and polite, a good possibility, but she’d need to talk to him a little longer before she decided.  
The breeze was welcome and tossed Laura’s dark hair around as she skillfully avoided a lurching drunk. Sliding onto the open space on a bench near the roped off boundary of the bar’s patio, she sat and made space for her companion who took it, eagerly.  
They chatted and Laura found the soldier to be refreshingly straightforward with an optimism that the military hadn’t tarnished too badly. She liked the fact that he seemed to scan the crowd, frequently, still instinctive from his training.  
“What did you do while you were in the military?”

“Bomb disposal,” he replied, quietly, and Laura didn’t ask any more about it. He used the same tone she did when asked about family. “I’m a cop now.” They chatted a little and Laura found herself very attracted to the young man.

“Want to take a walk?” She kept her tone light, and didn’t get suggestive. He nodded quickly but texted his friends and they left together.

It didn’t take long for Laura to convince him to return with her to the hotel room she’d rented. It wasn’t seedy, but it wasn’t really nice, either. She’d had to stick to places that took cash. When they’d reached the awkward moment at her car, she had leaned forward and kissed him lightly. Clever or not, the soldier-turned-cop had happily gotten into Laura’s rental car and headed back to the hotel. It boasted a lobby, instead of a door you could drive up to, but not much else. Either way, she wasn’t concerned about it once they got to her door. The soldier’s hands were distractingly big and steady, and she could smell his arousal as she stuck the key card in the lock and swung him inside with her.  
Hungry mouths met, and Laura felt those broad hands on the backs of her thighs as he lifted her easily and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He pulled his shirt off with one hand and she noted that he was well-toned, but not bulky. He was young, but she didn’t mind, because he was enthusiastic and strong. She let him take of her shirt while she fumbled with the clasp of her bra. He stumbled as they reached the desk in the main part of the hotel room. His eyes were on her breasts and he let out a big breath, gently cupping one soft mound while his other hand held her bottom.

Laura felt the soldier slide her onto the desk and let her legs down, going for his belt while she toed off her shoes. He palmed both of her breasts then, lowering his mouth to kiss and mouth at them. He proved dexterous enough to caress her eagerly while shoving his jeans down and kicking off his sneakers. She pressed her hand to the front of her soldier’s boxer briefs and gave a mental fist pump. He was loaded for bear and she was glad. He grunted and pressed forward into her palm, eagerly. She unfastened her own jeans and he dragged them down her legs before placing those marvelous hands at her waist and lifting her off the desk. He claimed her lips again and walked her backwards to the side of the bed, drawing back the comforter and pushing her back on the sheets. He went to her breasts again, letting her run her fingers through his short hair as he suckled and licked before moving down her belly and pulling her panties down her hips, lifting her to get them off.

Laura melted into the mattress when her soldier placed her knees on his shoulders and went down on her. It had been a long time since she’d had this. His enthusiasm made up for his messiness, and she guessed him to be not far over twenty-one. She started to feel guilty until he did something with his tongue that had her arching up off the bed. He held her hips down, firmly, so he could continue loving her with his mouth which just made her hotter and she was sure that she climaxed on principle.

It had been far too long since Laura had been with a partner as eager to please as the soldier. He kept his mouth on her, giving soft, gentle licks as she came down before standing up, ripping open a condom wrapper and smoothing it down the length of his erection. Unable to protest that she hadn’t had a chance to return the favor, because she couldn’t speak, Laura just held up her arms for him as he scooted her back onto the rough but clean-smelling sheets.

The soldier paused between Laura’s thighs and asked her, breathlessly if what he was doing was okay.

“I mean, do you want to be on top or something?” When she looked surprised he shrugged. “You seem the type.”

Laura laughed, happily and pulled him down to her breasts and brought her thighs up around his lean hips. He thrust into her slowly and she savored the pace. She’d made a good choice tonight.

“Gotta warn you, I probably won’t last,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s been a while.”

Laura tilted her hips up in response and the soldier grunted, bracing his knees and picking up his speed. He didn’t last long, but she was still blissful from her orgasm, pleased that he’d let her come first. He held the condom and slid out, discarding it, crossing to his pants and picking them up. She tried not to be disappointed that he was leaving so soon, but she’d brought him there for a purpose that he’d already fulfilled. He surprised her by pulling a strip of three more condoms from his back pocket and bringing them back to the bed. 

The soldier climbed in beside the werewolf and pulled the sheet up over them. He set the condoms on the bedside table and rolled to face her. “I’ll be good to go for another round if you want,” he said. “Just gimmie a few minutes to get my second wind.” She smiled and laughed again.

“This is the best night I’ve had in a long time,” she said.

“How come?” He looked concerned and Laura found herself talking easily.

“Most of my family’s gone,” she said. It was intense for a first conversation following sex. He closed his eyes and his lips pressed together in a grim line. “It’s just my brother and me right now.” She didn’t mention Peter. It was too heavy.

“I’m sorry, what happened?”

“House fire.” Laure blurted it out without thinking and she saw the flash of sympathy across his face. “It was six years ago, and I haven’t been back to California till now.” She settled her back against his shoulder and let him stroke her arms. She found it easier to talk when she wasn’t looking at him. “I’ve been focused on being there for my brother, so I haven’t done much for myself.”

“I can’t imagine having that kind of responsibility.” The soldier spoke gently, encouraging her. “You must be tired of having to be strong all the time.”

“Honestly I’ve forgotten what it’s like to be anything else.”

“What brought you here, now?”

“I left some things unfinished,” she said, realizing how true her statement was as she spoke. “I just felt like it was time to face my demons and try and make the past a little less scary.”

“That’s really brave.” 

Oh God, the soldier meant every word he was saying. Laura could hear his steady heartbeat. She understood him now. He was simple. People probably met him and believed that simple meant the same thing as stupid or shallow, but Laura recognized it for the quality it was. He was taking what she told him at face value because he didn’t have any reason to not believe her.

“You think so?” Suddenly his answer mattered.

“I do. I think you’re brave.”

“Do you think I’m hot?” she asked, lying naked in his arms. The soldier answered Laura’s question by rolling his hips against her, and letting her feel his returning erection. “That was fast.”

“So was round one,” he said, reaching behind him for the condoms and tearing one off. “I’m eager to redeem myself with round two if you’re up for it.”

“Think you can keep up?”

“Watch me.”

Laura braced her hands against the headboard and pressed her hips back as her soldier gripped her waist and pounded into her from behind. It was nearly three in the morning and they were on their last condom. She’d ridden him for their second round, bouncing energetically on his tireless dick until she’d come. He’d followed her by seconds, claiming he’d been trying to hold back for several minutes by thinking about his drill sergeant. They’d taken a break and he’d brought water from the vending machine and shared a candy bar with her. They’d cuddled and he’d told her embarrassing stories from basic training before chasing her around the room and taking her up against the wall with her legs wrapped tightly around his waist. Now, with her hair plastered against her scalp, Laura marveled at the human. She’d never been with a man who’d been able to go four rounds in a night. She was nearing her fourth orgasm but he showed no signs of tiring.

Laura arched her back, giving her soldier deeper penetration and feeling his fingers tighten in response. He slammed her back onto him and punctuated each thrust with a hoarse grunt. She came when he did, feeling him spill himself inside the condom as he fell onto her, kissing her neck and shoulder while he slowed his pace.

“Oh God,” Laura whispered, sliding down onto the pillows. “I smell so bad right now.” She laughed when her Soldier did and rose from the bed on wobbly legs to go to the shower. He waited until she finished and took one himself before straightening the sheets and putting down a hand towel on the wet spot they’d left from their first round. She settled down and slept for a few hours, pleased by the warm scent he gave off.

Laura woke before her soldier and crept carefully from the bed. It was before seven and she had to get on the road if she wanted to return to Beacon Hills before the full moon.

“Where are you going?”

The Soldier’s voice was rough from sleep, but his question wasn’t accusatory. “I mean next. Where’s home for you?”

“Beacon Hills,” she said, tugging on a pair of clean panties from her bag. “It’s up north.”

“I know where it is.” Green eyes sharpened as the soldier sat up. “Funny you should mention it.” He scratched his square jaw. “I haven’t been there, but I’ve been meaning to go.”

“Why?” Laura caught a hint of the pleasant, smoky smell again that she’d noticed at the bar. “It’s not a big town.”

“No,” the soldier shook his head, eyebrows wrinkled in concentration. “I’m not sure why, but when I went looking for jobs after I got out of the academy, I applied all over So Cal, but for some reason I saw an ad for the Beacon County Sheriff’s department and sent my resume there too.”

“That’s kinda random,” Laura put on her bra and shoved her arms into her t-shirt. She sneezed, feeling a tickle in her nose and the hair on the back of her neck stand up. “What appealed to you?”

“Not sure. But for whatever reason, that’s the one place I’d really wanted to interview.”

“What happened?”

“I didn’t make it to the in-person interview stage.” The young man shrugged. “I spoke to the Sheriff a few times, but he ended up hiring someone with more experience. He sounded sad to disappoint me, and said he’d keep my application on file for a few years. Seemed real nice and told me to come by the station if I was ever in the area and he’d show me around.” The soldier grinned. “We got to talking and it sounds like a nice town.” He frowned. “I’m sorry, I know you’ve got some bad memories from there.”

“Yeah,” Laura said, going back to the bed and sitting down. “But I have a lot more good ones.” She looked at him curiously. “Do you remember his name?”

“Stillinski.”

“I remember him.” Laura had to swallow the lump in her throat before continuing. Her soldier ran a hand through her long hair and rubbed a few strands between his fingers. “He’s good people.”

“Can I ask you something?” he said, green eyes looking earnest.

“Laura.” She smiled. “My name is Laura.”

“I’m Jordan.” He looked like he wanted to say something about keeping in touch, but he clearly thought better of it. “How do you think Beacon Hills would suit a guy like me?”

“You’ve got good instincts,” Laura said, and suddenly felt all of the years between them. “You should listen to them.”


	2. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura's last day

Laura left the hotel and headed north. She’d packed light, just an overnight bag and her messenger bag with her research material in it. She was relieved to have it out of the apartment she and Derek shared, she’d hated the idea that he would stumble on her collection of wispy threads that she’d carefully tugged and unraveled. Most of the threads she’d followed were useless, but a few had led to more questions. She had a list of names that she’d been carefully tracking down, and it was too much of a coincidence that all of the threads that remained led her back to Beacon Hills. She hoped that one of the names on the list was the person who’d sent her the picture. She only hoped that she wasn’t too late to save Peter. 

Laura’s eyes felt a sudden sting of tears, as she crossed into Beacon County, relief and longing warring with her cautious nature that warned against hope. In this moment, she missed her uncle more than she ever had before. She knew better than to have hope. She and Derek had waited by his bedside for days, only leaving to bury the rest of the Hales. She’d been glad for the bandages that covered his burns at the time, showing only the unmarred side of his face.

Peter Hale had been the handsomest man in Laura’s family. She felt no shame for the innocent crush she’d had on him as a child. Pure and devoid of sexuality, the adoration she’d felt for her uncle had been involuntary. He’d doted on her, and encouraged her worship, as she’d stared at his striking face with love. He’d have hated being so imperfect. She’d felt the burn, thick and hot with blisters, even before she’d drained his pain, sneering at the morphine drip that couldn’t help a werewolf. 

Only fear for Derek’s survival had prompted Laura to leave Beacon Hills, and abandon Peter to his agony. She hadn’t been able to feel anything through their bond; it had been as if he was a stranger. Derek in their mother’s car, she’d let the little girl’s crush well up in her again and softly kissed her uncle’s lips before releasing his hand, and with it his pain, slipping quietly out the doors.

After years of staying clear of attention, Laura had received a message. Something dark and secret carved into the corpse of a deer. Something she’d seen only once, spurred by the grief of a wolf who’d vowed revenge on hunters. A spiral, the symbol of a blood debt. A vendetta. She’d been cautious, but she and Derek had been too young to make enemies. There shouldn’t have been anyone alive who knew the symbol, who would hold a grudge against her. It could mean only one thing. Peter was in danger.

Laura had demanded that Derek remain behind when she returned to California. Her somber, gloomy brother had obeyed, like he always did, and she’d left him the Camaro, choosing to fly across the country. She’d been living like a nun in New York, unable to let Derek see her get attached to anyone. She’d been mostly celibate, having only a few sexual encounters on the rare occasions she had an excuse to sneak away for a few nights. She didn’t think Derek would judge her; he’d grown up so attractive that he stumbled over sex. The amount of effort he had to put into not getting laid, was comical. He put conscious effort into frowning so hard that people didn’t approach. On the rare occasions he came home smelling like sex, she could only guess it was because he was too tired to scowl.

Laura knew she shouldn’t keep everyone at arm’s length, but the few times she’d met someone, instead of jealousy, Derek had reacted with hope. He was hoping she’d build a pack. He was hoping she’d…have babies. Derek loved children; he’d been Cora’s slave from the first diaper change. She hated to crush his hope for a pack again by dating. The first time she’d gone out with someone, a guy she’d met at her job, Derek had made an effort to be nice and after a few dates and a mediocre roll in the hay, Laura had broken things off. Derek had been so disappointed and she’d vowed to be more careful.  
For the past few years Laura would find a potential candidate, make her excuses to Derek, have a quick, hard fuck, and then wash meticulously for the next few days until she’d had to return home. It was rarely satisfying. Jordan had been a surprise. She’d been so keyed up she’d come faster than a twelve-year-old boy with a magazine and a bottle of lotion. She smiled in spite of herself. The night before the fire, she’d heard Peter say something like that to Derek in the middle of the night. She’d been up late, reading something Italian and boring, and she’d heard Derek sneaking in his window. She hadn’t known Peter was hiding in her brother’s room until he’d called out in a cheerful voice. 

“Well, someone looks guiltier than a kid caught with a magazine and a bottle of lotion.” Laura had stifled her laughter by plugging her nose, causing her ear to pop, painfully before getting control over her mirth as Derek’s voice cracked with nervousness.

“Shut up, Peter!”

Laura knew she’d probably be disappointed when she arrived at the long-term care hospital where Peter was staying. Staying. No, existing, if one could call it that. Saying he was staying there made it sound like he was renting an apartment or in a hotel. He was lying in a bed, aging and breathing, and that was about it. She made some calls during the drive, chasing down some names and speaking to the county about old records. It was mostly futile, but one of the names on her list had been a hit. Adrian Harris. He still worked at the High School. 

Laura’s first stop was the gas station, but only out of necessity. She went straight from there to the long term care facility to see Peter. The wispy connection had gotten slightly stronger since she’d gotten to the West Coast. She found him by scent, strolling casually along the corridors until she found him. He was sitting up in a wheelchair, dressed in pajamas and a robe. He wasn’t looking at her, and for a moment, she stopped wanting to imagine he was watching television and just hadn’t noticed her.

There was no television in the room, however. There wasn’t any point. Laura kept her footsteps light, like you did in a hospital, and said his name, quietly.

“Hi, Uncle Peter.”

There was no response, of course, but Laura could hear his heartbeat, slow and steady. She sat on the bed, his bed, and gently turned his chain so he was facing her. His eyes were open, but vacant. They were still the prettiest shade of blue, cornflower blue, or something like that. She talked to him for a few minutes, awkwardly at first. She told him about Derek growing tall, like their dad, and without Peter’s charm. 

“Since no one’s been there to train him in how to talk to girls,” Laura said, casually, “he’s had to rely on the Hale cheekbones instead.” She reached through the bond and felt…nothing, even less than she had in Los Angeles. 

“What are you doing here?” The sharp voice came from the doorway and Laura stared at her uncle a second before turning to speak to the woman. She was dressed a bit old-fashioned, with a long white dress and cap, she looked a little out-dated. She had red hair, which Laura felt was her sole good feature. A bit plain and stiff. Still, there was something about her that Laura found off-putting.

“Visiting my uncle,” Laura replied, coolly. The woman’s upper lip twitched with a twinge of disgust. Laura understood why this woman, ‘Jennifer’ according to her name tag, worked in the long-term care unit. Her bedside manner was fit only for the patients who didn’t know she was there. She tried to intimidate Laura, with her ugly shoes and pursed lips.

“I don’t recall you calling ahead,” Jennifer said, tartly.

“Maybe someone else should be here,” Laura replied. She saw the woman’s temporary confusion and clarified. “Instead of you, I mean.” She didn’t need to get up from, the bed to make her point. She was an Alpha werewolf and didn’t need to posture or loom. Frankly she didn’t have the height for it, Derek was a natural loomer. “Is Melissa McCall around?” she asked, keeping her tone polite. “She doesn’t usually get so worked up.”

The scent hit Laura when Jennifer’s temperature went up. She’d started sweating and it carried, with her own nervous and angry sweat, something familiar. Peter’s scent was all over this woman. She knew that he’d need to be bathed, and moved and assisted with his basic bodily functions. She knew that in order to do this, nurses would need to touch every part of their patients, but something about the smell made her want to drop her fangs. 

Jennifer had Peter’s scent on her skin, beneath her clothes, and Laura felt the urge to claw the woman’s face off. She held back as Jennifer raised her chin, opting to back down from Laura’s politely and quietly hurled barb. 

“She’s off tonight.”

“Don’t let me keep you,” Laura said, dismissively.

Once she’d heard the woman’s footsteps fall away, she reached for Peter’s hand. “God, Peter, what’s happening here?” She wished she could will him awake. “Does she shower with you or something?” She ran a hand over his hair, it was clean and brushed, and he smelled as if he’d been bathed that day. But since he didn’t move, it could have been longer. She turned back to the bed, the sheets had been recently changed, so she didn’t even smell Peter on them, so she was out of luck there. 

Laura left the hospital and headed for the High School. She sat in the parking lot and waited while the teens filed out. They all looked so young to her, but she turned up her hearing when she heard the Chemistry teacher’s name. A gangly, pale youth was carrying his backpack on one shoulder and complaining to another teen about narrowly escaping without detention. Laura guessed the pale teen was clever, because Harris had always given the smart boys a hard time. He’d been only too eager to nurture the clever girls, however.

Laura watched the two, as they discussed lacrosse try outs, which were in a few days. As the darker of the two, a shaggy-haired puppyish boy, vowed to get off the bench that season. Behind them a handsome, confident teen pushed between them, deliberately altering his direction in order to shove them both.

“Stilinski and McCall,” the kid growled. “Looking forward to another season riding the bench?” Even if the kid hadn’t been a jerk, his haircut would’ve identified him to Laura as an asshole. She wanted to laugh a little as the skinny kid frantically attempted to undress a pretty redhead with his eyes as she flounced past then to join the asshole in his Porsche. Oh God, he actually drove a Porsche to high school. Laura rolled her eyes as Mr. Insecurity drove away, smugly confident in his chances for a blowjob. 

Laura listened to the other two boys while she waited, and wondered if the skinny one belonged to the Sheriff. It wasn’t a common name. And the other boy had been referred to as ‘McCall’, she smiled and wondered if he was related to Melissa, a kind voice she knew from the phone, but whom she didn’t recall ever meeting in person. 

Laura focused her hearing once the parking lot cleared out, and found Harris. It was January so it got dark fairly early, and the hallways were mostly shadows by the time she made her way to his classroom. Harris didn’t bother to look up from the papers he was grading when Laura stood in the doorway.

“Been a long time, Mr. Harris.”

Laura saw the pale face lift and focus on her for a moment before recognition flared in his eyes. They widened and he sat up straighter. 

“Oh,” he said, standing up, quickly. “Can I help you?”

“Do you remember me, Mr. Harris?”

“Laura Hale, right?” Laura could hear his heartbeat pick up, thrumming like a rabbit. He was sweating too, and she gave him a big smile. 

“That’s right.” She pulled the door closed behind them and approached the desk. He’d been wary around her, and had nearly wet himself during parent-teacher conferences, according to her mother, so she guessed he was one of the residents who had an idea about the Hales, but preferred not to think about it too much. I’ve been going over insurance paperwork from the fire,” she said, stalking towards him. “I wanted to ask you about chemicals, since you’re the expert.”

“I’m just a teacher,” he said, swallowing, loudly. “You probably want to look for someone-”

“You went to West Point,” Laura said, keeping her tone even. “You were an exemplary student and a soldier with a spotless record.” She ran her finger over the top of the plaque that held the West Point Motto. It was there to remind students that he’d been to a prestigious school, and that as a military man, he was definitely not the pussy he’d been called back in High School. By Peter Hale.

“How do you know about my military record?”

“I’m good at sniffing out little details.” Part of Laura enjoyed this. She rarely had the opportunity to show off, and dancing around the knowledge Harris wished he didn’t have, was too close to fun. Her mother would have scolded her.   
Laura kept her eyes open and tilted them towards the window as a car turned around. The headlights moved around the room, and over her face. She made sure Harris was looking straight at her. She didn’t make them glow red, she just let him see the reflection that shouldn’t be there. His curiosity had to have been killing him. And for just a second, she saw the fear drop away in place of fascination. He really was a man of science, one who loved knowledge and felt pity for him. He’d become a science teacher because of his love of the subject, but had never enjoyed the students. 

“I never helped anyone,” Harris whispered. “I-I’m no saint, but I’d have never set a fire like that. I’d never hurt anyone…” she heard the uptick in his heartbeat, “like that.” Peter’s date rape drug theory pinged in her mind, but it was a blip on her radar. Right now, she was focused on him.

“Talk fast.”

Laura left the school feeling both angry and elated. She wanted to stop at the Vet’s and see if Deaton could help her. She hadn’t called ahead, the man could be cagey.

Laura drove out to the House next. She couldn’t avoid it forever, and wanted to pay her respects. She ran through the woods, feeling the pull of the full moon and remembered running with her pack. She caught the scent of something familiar and quickened her pace. She smelled Peter. He was in the woods. She’d heard about sick werewolves who still responded to the moon’s call, even unconscious. Maybe the pull she’d been feeling had been because of the moon. 

Laura made it to the clearing near the house when she caught sight of a flash of white. She felt tears prick her eyes as she ran towards him. He was Pack. He was home, she could reach him like this.   
Pale and thin, Peter stood in the moonlight. Laura approached him, calling out his name, softly. He didn’t move, and his arms hung limply by his sides. She approached him, wanting to hug him, when she heard a soft whisper on the wind. 

Left you.

Laura heard Peter make a noise like a little sigh. And she looked back at him. His head rolled sideways and flopped in her direction, like he wasn’t used to using the muscles. She caught the scent of Jennifer on his skin, and it was recent. He turned towards her, mouth hanging open but with his fangs lengthening inside. She nearly wept with joy, and fumbled for her cell phone, cursing herself for leaving it in her car. She wanted to call Derek. Maybe under the moon, Peter could-

Left you.

The whisper came again, and Peter lurched forward, reaching for Laura. She embraced him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. For a second she worried that she’d hurt him, but his arms went around her too, and her hugged her back. So strong, he felt solid and warm, and he smelled like pack. She tucked her head against his chest, under his chin like she’d done when she was a child, and felt his lips brush against her hair.

“Alpha,” he whispered, his voice muffled by his fangs.

Laura wept then, rubbing her face against the rippled skin of his neck. The whisper was louder, and she felt him stiffen. The wind was going in the wrong direction, but she turned around and saw, with her wolf eyes, Jennifer, still in the kinky uniform, standing in the shadows. Kinky. Yes! The quality about the woman that had rubbed her the wrong way was the possessive way she’d stared at Peter. The uniform was too old-fashioned for someone as young as Jennifer, but if she saw it as a costume…

Laura turned and bared her fangs, spreading out her arms to keep Peter behind her. Understanding dawned on her. Someone twisted and sociopathic imitated what they saw. She wasn’t a natural at caring for others, so she put on the most convincing costume she could find. She took the uniform off when she bathed her patients, the handsome ones like Peter probably gave her a special thrill. And on full moons, he might pay her a little attention too.

“She left you behind!” Jennifer shouted, and Laura didn’t feel a thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I never got why Peter would kill his nurse if she'd helped him so much. But I came up with the theory that Peter who had his mad mumbling inside his head, had spoken out loud during the full moon and gave Jennifer the idea to make him the Alpha. SHe had a creepy devotion to him, and the uniform with the little hat kinda had a creepy vibe when everyone else wore scrubs.

**Author's Note:**

> We know so little about Laura, but I've seen her in fan fiction so often I felt like I wanted to give her more history. As for Parrish, I thought it appropriate that he'd be drawn to Laura, and I liked the idea of her sensing an allied spirit in him.


End file.
